The song of the Shopping Sirens is a sale. Resolve is weakened, thoughts are muddled, impulse takes over and out comes the credit card. Sales work because they hit us psychologically on a deep level. We may think it's all about the deal - but there's much more to it than that. Courtesy of Kit Yarrow, Ph.D. here are different ways that sales play on emotions in cunning ways and often inspire us to make purchases we might otherwise pass up.Fear: Sales inspire a fear of missing out. Everyone knows sale items are limited and this creates a now-or-never mentality that prompts impulsive purchasing. Like Tanya, awareness that it's the "last one" means buy it now or it's gone. Without that fear and with more time to think - a good many sale items would be left behind. This is the same mentality behind 24-hour specials and midnight madness events - when time is limited, emotions are elevated and, well, you know the rest.Emotional Investment: The time, energy and engagement required to sort though a jumble of markdowns is akin to an investment. Further, finding the right color, right size or perfect brand is like unearthing buried treasure. Our perception an item's value and our unconscious commitment to purchase gets a boost when we've already made a commitment of time. Plus our sense of good fortune when we find something great after a search rubs off onto the product and increases its emotional value. In other words, the hunt itself contributes to our perception of the value of the product. Read more : huffingtonpostSoHo Accessories